Flightless Bird
by cotnut
Summary: What would you do if you were on the run and no matter where you went, you were still found? What would you do if those that loved you lost something in return?
1. Prologue

_Authors note: Unless otherwise marked, the story is in Bella's Point of View._

_**X**_

There are days where I wonder why I'm here. What made me decide to move to this town as opposed to another one? I knew that I needed to escape although I always wondered if this was the right choice. Was I truly safe here? Could I pick up the pieces and start over again? More importantly, was I worthy of love again? Could I learn to love me for me?

I found these thoughts circulating in my mind the most when I gave myself down time- which was dangerous. It was a slippery slope that I tried to avoid it. If I had to face it, it was easier to compartmentalize. The sections, although painful to reflect on, were easier to deal with in small doses.

My life has become a strict routine. I try to keep busy and not give my mind time to reflect on my detrimental past. Every day is the same: get up, brew my coffee, eat my breakfast while watching the home security footage to see if anything developed, then get dressed into my workout gear and go hike in the hills behind my house, always varying the path that I take. My morning shower helps wash away the tension from my sleep and daily exercise. Every day I put on my poker face and interact with the world.

At the end of each work day I quickly escape to my home, lock the doors behind me, and attempt to shut out reality and relax. Although I can never truly relax. It has been ingrained in me to never let my guard down. If I do, I will fail. Nightly, I attempt to go to bed where sleep always evades me until the early morning when fitful sleep finally finds me.

I know I can't keep living this way, something has to give. The problem is I don't know what or even how to go about changing without risking more. These monotonous days are running together and there is no change. In many ways it seems like there is no hope for better. How long can I keep up with this pattern before I break? Before I shatter and collapse in and on myself? Or what will happen if my past catches up to me? If and when that happens, will anyone know or care what has happened to me?

Please just make it stop!


	2. Chapter 1

A/N This is for all future chapters. I am not Stephenie Meyer, I did not come up with her characters, but Dr. C is always welcome to come give me a physical. Just saying.

I would also like to thank Speklez, cloemarrie, AbbyMickey24, and Aunt Bell for the encouragement to write this story and get it out of my head.

A huge shout out to **cruiz107** for offering to pre-read for me as well as clean up some of my grammar errors and make excellent suggestions along the way.

This story is not Beta'd so if you know someone who wants a crack at cleaning up my mess, let me know.

**Ch. 1**

***X***

Monday January 12, 2009

For once I woke up rested. I stretched slowly, as I felt my muscles tighten and relax with the movement. I did not want to get up and start my day. The weight of the down comforter was a welcome warmth. I did not feel the urgency to get up and do my normal routine, which was odd. It had to do with that peaceful dream that I had. I tend to not dream often as I do not let myself drift into deep sleep for fear of not hearing anyone approach or the nightmares that tend to show when I do. But every once in a while I have one that I tend to not remember much of, other than snippets that make up a beautiful mosaic, a kaleidoscope of breath-taking images, that spins a stunning and peaceful web. It is on these mornings that I try to savor the feelings of hope, joy, and peace that these images conjure. These are the images that give me the strength to keep going and pray that one day my life will return to me with happiness and love again. They are positive illustrations that I hold onto of my life before - laughter, sweet peas, and bumblebees. Then there are other inexplicable dreams of piercing blue eyes and snowfall that bring me comfort and help ward off the bitter days. I would hold onto these images throughout the day.

Finally after deciding time was no longer on my side, I rolled out of bed and had my cup of coffee. I was ready to hike the hills today. I enjoyed the crisp air on these winter mornings. The temperature was right around twenty five degrees and I could see my breath in the air. I took a deep breath to center myself and started my trek up towards the top. This morning I had decided I was going to hike, again, in another direction. I tried to avoid making any noticeable tracks. Keeping fit was just as imperative as knowing the lay of the land around my home.

The trees were lush with vibrant green, giving a beautiful view of the town below. As I approached a midway point, which has the best view, I took a seat on a rock to rest and admire the scenery. This high up, a rare peace claims me as I watch and observe. The height gives off a sense of security, as this spot is in a safely hidden location which allows me a moment's respite. I felt the sun starting to warm the air slowly and lift my face to the sky. With the comfort of the dream combined with the warmth of the sun, I make the trek back to my cottage and got ready to go into work.

I pulled on my black jeans and my baby blue uniform shirt that has black trim along the sweetheart neckline. A small ribbon of black also accented the pointless, nonfunctional pocket that sits over my left breast. My name badge sits here although I am not sure why I even have one, as the locals tend to call the waitresses "sweetheart" more often than our names. I put my boring brown hair back into a ponytail and then bundle up in my thick coat, pulled on my mittens as I started my walk into town.

This is a small town, really in the middle of nowhere. That is one aspect of what drew me here. It is not a place that really would even be a blip on the radar. It took me a long time to become someone that the "locals" did not look down their noses at or wondered why I was here. Now I am able to blend into the background as I tend to keep to myself. The daily hours that are put into the diner are my only connection to reality and the outside world.

The Ferndale Diner is made of logs that have slowly been worn down with exposure to the elements. The front door entrance is framed with large river rocks. The windows around the diner give beautiful views to the mountains that surround the area. In the spring and summer there are flowers that adorn the window boxes. My favorite area is along the highly polished wooden counter where I tend to work the most. It gives the most serene views of the winding river below. On slow days I tend to lose myself when wiping down the counters, imagining where that water flows and hoping that someday I will have the strength to follow it without looking over my shoulder.

Today the town was full of chatter. It did not matter who was coming or going but the rumor mill was running wild. Jessica Stanley, the sole daughter to the town's only doctor, Dr. Stanley, was hit early this morning by a logging truck. She was so badly hurt she was going to need extensive care that our town could not provide. She was currently being prepped for air lift and Dr. Stanley was going to leave with her. This left the town not worried about Jessica, rather the lack of having a doctor. Jessica has always been a catty bitch who thought that she was above everyone else around her.

When you would first meet her, she would try to make you feel welcome. Once she got you in her trap she decided if she needed you or not. If you did not have something she wanted or needed, she would discard you like yesterday's trash, simultaneously making you feel like it, too. Unfortunately, Dr. Stanley never saw this side of her. She could do no wrong in his eyes. Personally, I believe he chose to put up blinders due to the amount of time that he had to devote to this community. His wife, Lauren, ran off leaving him with Jessica when she was around ten. Some have said that Jessica's personality is a carbon copy of her mother. That negative influence early in her life possibly helped mold her into who she was.

Don't get me wrong, I do feel sorry for Jessica. If she does make it, the recovery process will be very daunting, both physically and mentally. The scars from it run deep and will be lifelong. I found myself once again rubbing alongside my right hip at the edge of the scar that is well hidden under my layers of clothing. I do hope that her father is okay. He is a nice man who always was genuine and attempted to get me to open up when I had no choice but to go and see him.

The door opened and a cold burst of the January air came in snapping me out of my thoughts once again. One of the locals, Mike, slid up in front of me at the counter.

"Hi Mike, would you like your regular?"

"Bella, you know me so well" he said with a wink.

Seriously, it took me all I had to not roll my eyes at him. Mike Newton was about thirty five with a shaved head due to his attempt to cover up his premature balding. He came in religiously five days a week. Unfortunately, those days tended to correspond to the days that I worked. He always sat in my station. On those days he feigned surprise seeing me. Surprised my ass. It's a small town and a diner with big windows. In a town where the population was right around eleven hundred, the dating pool was slim pickings to say the least, and Mike had his eyes set on me.

"I will go ahead and put your order in and get your coffee right away." I turned to leave his order at the window, then stepped into the side area to grab the fresh pot of coffee while I set the decaf on brew. I felt a bump on my left hip and looked up to see Angela grinning at me from ear to ear.

"Good morning Angela, how was your date last night with Ben?" Angela Webber was the nicest person in our town. Although I tried to keep walls up around me when I first moved here, her sincerity and honest personality quickly allowed me to consider her my friend. She really knew nothing about me, other than the bare facts I have given her, but she has always been there when I have needed a pick me up, never asking any questions. Upon my question to her, her face lit up.

"It was absolutely wonderful! He took me up to Eureka where we went out to eat. The night came to an end way too quickly." She gushed while clocking in.

Angela and Ben had been shamelessly flirting for the past six months before she finally got the courage to ask him out. It was quite comical at how blind he was about her flirting attempts. When she finally asked him out he fainted. When he came to in Dr. Stanley's office, Angela asked if that was a "yes or a no." It was nice to see her in love.

The day was filled with the speculations on who could possibly be coming to our town to replace Doctor Stanley's position. Then there was the rumors of whether or not the accident was truly an accident. I was not going to let my mind go and ponder the latter possibility. It was just a freak accident, it had to be. The most ridiculous rumor was that Jessica purposely crashed her car in order to get attention. I wonder where these people get such ridiculous notions. I know she was self-serving, but there is no way she would do something as drastic as that. Finally around three in the afternoon, my shift was done for the day.

I bundled up quickly and wrapped my purple scarf tightly around my neck to help stave off the cold weather. Although our town was small, the walk to my place was going to take me around twenty to thirty minutes. I needed to get home before darkness fell and the rain started up again. I wanted to be warm and dry when I got home to make my weekly call to the only person that still means the most to me in this life. If I did not make this scheduled call by four, he would begin to worry more that he already does. I cannot have that additional guilt hanging over my head.


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N- Alright for the sake of writer's creativity license, I am saying that the use of a "burn phone" has 5 minutes before it is able to be tracked. I also woke up feeling like posting this chapter today. I hope you enjoy. **

***X***

Luckily my jaunt home was over quickly. I managed to make it to the front of my house and entered in the key codes in the two locks on the door just as the first drops started to pelt down. I went and started the fire in the fireplace, making sure that I had a sufficient amount of wood on the inside of the house before completing my final lockup routine for the night. There were a few minutes left until it was time to call him so I still had time to change. I walked into my room, changing into my flannel pajamas while the computer monitors were booting up to allow me to review the last couple hours on the CCTV. I was able to get that task completed while waiting for my coffee to finish. With the coffee poured into my cup, I went to the plush leather couch and sat down, situating the warm blanket over my lap. Placing the stopwatch on the coffee table, I grabbed the burn phone that was balanced on the back of the couch.

After taking many deep breaths to center myself, I opened the phone and pressed one. I found myself biting my lower lip, a nervous habit picked up over the years, while I waited for the call to connect. What if he does not answer the phone?

"I was starting to worry, Sweet Pea."

"I'm sorry," I whispered into the phone.

"It's okay, you know that. I just got concerned as you normally are very punctual with your call. Is everything alright?" I could feel his sincerity and concern through the phone. I envision him reclined on his desk, feet resting on t top and arms crossed behind his head. His "thinking pose" as he used to call it.

A deep sigh left my lips before I could even think about it.

"Tell me what is wrong," he asked in that tone only family could get away with.

I looked at the stopwatch I had running on the couch next to me. What do I tell him when I am not even sure myself? Should I let the sound of our breaths wind down the clock? I decided this was my one shot for the week to let it all out. I needed to let it go or it would keep festering inside. He knows me and would know that I am holding something back. For everything he has done for me and sacrificed for me, do I not owe it to him?

With one last deep breath I let it all out.

"I miss them, and I miss you. I miss what could have been. I find myself having days that I just want to give up. I want to just stand in the middle of the road or go in front of a mass population to draw attention and yell out 'I'm here fucker! Take me! Finish the god damn job and let me find my peace!' Then there are days that I know I need to keep going, that h-he would want me to keep going…" I could not help the tears that started to fall.

"Oh, sweetheart."

I just kept going knowing that my time was winding down. "And if I do give up, his sacrifice would have been for nothing! Absolutely nothing!" The tears were now pouring down my face and I could not catch my breath.

"You stop right there!" He yelled into the phone!

I rarely heard him raise his voice, let alone yell. It shocked me back to the present. I reached to the end table and pulled out a Kleenex from the box I kept there.

"You are worth it, a thousand times worth it! I wish we were able to be closer. I know that this means of communications is for your safety. I don't like it any more than you do. How I long to have one more time to hug you, to be there for you, and reassure you. Dammit!" He took a deep calming breath. "I know our phone time is almost up! Do not give up, Sweet Pea! Fight with every ounce of strength in your body! I expect to hear from you next week! I love you!"

Whispering "I love you, too" back I hit the end call button before the five minute mark on my stopwatch beeped.

Wrapping my blanket tightly around me, I really began to cry. I missed my godfather. He is the last connection to my old life, my happy life that I had.

As I reflected on my conversation with him I became embarrassed. I swore using God's name to a priest! I did not even mean to. It just slipped out. How did Jasper not reprimand me for that? How could I be so offensive?

I wish I could call him and apologize but that would deviate from our carefully constructed plan. Jasper knew that this person was not going to stop until I was theirs or dead. They have made it abundantly clear. Something was making this person target me. Until we are able to catch them this is the way it has to be - hiding from each other, burn phones, surveillance around the property, and contingency plans. These things were in place just like Peter and Charlotte ingrained in me.

When I woke up in the hospital after the final incident, Jasper knew that I would not be safe. He said it was his job as my godfather to protect me. He felt horrible he was not able to protect me before. In order to do so he contacted a "friend" who he said he trusted with his life. I still have yet to find out the answer to how Jasper knew and trusted this couple. I did know that if Jasper trusted them then I would too. He has never lied to me or led me wrong before.

Although I should not have been moved from the hospital due to my severe condition, they knew I was not safe there. It was hard knowing that that final kiss he left on my cheek would be the last I would ever get. Peter and his wife, Charlotte, disguised as nurse and a paramedic, helped Jasper say goodbye to me and move me into an ambulance on Christmas Eve over two years ago. I have not seen him since. This separation is the only way to possibly save us, save me. If he does not know where I am, perhaps he will be safe. This is the thought that keeps me going. I could not bear to have a third death hanging over my head because of me.

Peter and Charlotte had spent over a year helping me heal physically. They tried to show me how to cover my tracks, defend myself, and ultimately make myself disappear in the final year that I spent with them. They wanted me to form a new identity and a new chance at life. I understood their thought process. I could not remain Isabella Masen any more. It was not safe. I had to take on a new name and identity but I did not want to lose my last connection to my husband, the man that meant the world to me.

Logically, I knew a complete name change was to keep me safe, to give me a chance to live. But at what cost to my memories? I had already lost so much. I would not, and could not lose my first name. After many heated arguments with Peter and Charlotte, I compromised with them. They could assign my identity with any name that Bella could be a nickname for. I would always introduce myself to the new people I met as Bella. There was no room to argue. If I had to give up my last name, I would hold onto the one name that reminded me of my nickname that my husband gave to me in eighth grade. Whenever I would hear someone call me "Bella" I swear I still heard "Bumblebee" on the wind.

As it stands in this town, I am known as Bella Swan. I do not know how much longer I will be here under this name but when the time comes, my current last name will fade away and new one will take its place the minute I need to move on. During a mandatory move, I will go to one of the designated drop areas across the United States where new identities would be waiting. Although I will never see Peter and Charlotte again, they keep these areas stocked with cash, back stories, and new identities for me. For the safety of all of us, it is if they never existed.

Losing myself in those final moments with my godfather, the fire died, the coffee has gone cold, and the world outside had gone black save for the stars burning brightly in the sky. Night animals made their way around outside my sanctuary.


	4. Chapter 3

**Ch. 3**

***X***

Monday January 19, 2009

The week had flown by. The town was still chattering about Jessica. It seems that she survived her flight and is intensive care in serious but stable condition. Dr. Stanley has officially sold his practice in our town. Once Jessica is able to leave the hospital in San Francisco she is going to have to have long and painful therapy and Dr. Stanley is going to be there for his daughter. Everyone was in an uproar about who was going to take over the care of our local doctor's office/clinic. We do not have a hospital in this town, rather a small clinic. If you were in need hospital facilities the closest one is about twenty miles down the road in the neighboring city.

The question circulating now that we know Dr. Stanley was not coming back, was who would want to come to this town that does not have much to offer other than logging and tourism? And assuming we could find a new doctor, how soon would it be until he or she would arrive? Until answers came there would be more speculation and chatter. Something that is easily fueled by the town's head gossip and owner of the diner, Beth Brady.

I was called into the diner on my day off to cover for Beth. Normally Angela would but seeing as she was off on a getaway with Ben for a couple days, I was called in. Ben was heading up to Portland for an event and took her with him. I remember those days of impromptu romantic vacations. I hope that this weekend is a sign of good things to come for Angela and Ben.

After clocking in and taking over tables for Beth, I braced myself for being the only waitress on staff for the day. Beth, a rather portly woman, held many faces in our town; Ferndale Diner owner, city council member, and she was one of three real estate agents in our town and was needed this morning. Today I was only working for four hours while Beth was going to be gone. My shift was covering the breakfast and lunch rush. Once my shift was completed I planned on going home, refilling my generator, restocking my wood pile by the back door, and then, hopefully, relaxing in the tub before tonight's call with Jasper.

I still felt bad about my breakdown with him on the phone last week. I knew that I needed to apologize. I wish I could tell him about Jessica and the uproar that the town is in, but I couldn't. That would be a big indicator of where I was. Anyone could Google that information, as it was such a bad accident it made the news. Although we took precautions on the phone, such as the lack of using names, we could never be one hundred percent sure that someone was not listening in. We were taking enough of a risk with the weekly calls as it was.

"Hey Bella".

"Don't cringe, don't cringe." My internal mantra was chanting when I heard his nasally voice.

"Good morning, Mike."

"Wow, I am surprised to see you here!" he said with enthusiasm that was unnatural. Without taking a breath he continued. "I thought today was your day off? Say, what are you doing later? Would you like to go catch a movie with me at the theater?"

How I hated this. How many times do I have to say no? I was hoping that he would still be working up at the mill and not here for this shift. Is this too much to hope for? Just for one damn day?

Plastering on a smile, "I came in to cover a couple hours for Beth today seeing that Angela is off with Ben."

"It was nice of the Chief to let the rookie go for the weekend." Mike responded with a nod.

Ben Cheney was on the police force in Ferndale. He arrived around the same time that I did. He moved here straight after graduation from the Police Academy. The force here is small. He makes up the sixth police officer in this town.

"That it was. Would you like your normal today?"

Thinking to myself, "Please just answer me so I can move on."

"Um no that is okay, I just stopped in knowing you were covering for Beth to see if you wanted to go out tonight with me." His eyes had this look I could not quite place.

"No thanks, Mike. I have plans tonight."

At that moment the bell rang through the diner signaling that another customer's food was ready. Under my breath I mumbled "saved by the bell."

Then louder so he could hear me, "Mike, I have to go get that".

"It's alright, Bella. But I'll see you around and you will go out with me." With that he turned and went outside in the rain.

That was definitely odd. Mike has never been so insistent or forward. Before I had time to ponder his out of character behavior, Beth returned with a glint in her eye and slightly out of breath. Angela liked to call that look the "gossip glint".

"Spill it, Beth."

"I just finalized the paperwork on Doctor Stanley's practice and the widow Brandon's house off of Eugene Street, just past your place Bella."

"Congratulations." I knew that the sales meant a great deal to Beth and her family. She had plans to revamp the diner by bringing in more modern amenities such a WiFi, new flooring, booths, and light fixtures. However, I was not crazy that someone would be out closer to my house. Part of the reason I chose it was due to the level of isolation it provided. This was yet another thing for me to ponder over later.

"Bella, dear, you have not heard the best part! Oh, he is young, in his mid thirties, tall, blond, and good looking! Single too!"

Oh no, that poor man was going to need to watch out. The vultures in this town are going to strike before he even settles in, especially Esme Platt. If it's a male and over the age of twenty-one she will go after them. Her over-processed hair was dyed to make her appear younger and -only really in her eyes-more appealing to men. It is a shame that she thinks the whole cougar thing is sexy. Maybe mid-thirties to young twenty somethings but sixty five? No, that is wrong on so many levels. There is not a single male she has not sniffed around or attempted to bed -single or married.

Beth, aside from all of her other more "official" positions in this town, is also known for her attempted role of matchmaker. She was persistent in her pursuits. If you were not married or in a serious relationship, you were fair game in her eyes. "He is currently staying at The Gingerbread Mansion in the Empire Suite. Rosalie and Emmett are thrilled to be having a guest staying in their best suite."

Emmett and Rosalie transplanted to the area from upper New York about four months ago. Rosalie wanted to move to a small tourist town and open a bed and breakfast. They both came from family money. As a wedding present, her family purchased the building for them. The Gingerbread Mansion is an old Victorian building that they have put a lot of time, resources, and energy into making improvements on it. It is operated solely by the two of them.

Emmett is a goliath of a man. He is very tall and built like a linebacker. I would be terrified of him if I ran into him in an alley; that is until you get to know him. He is one of the funniest guys around and always goes out of his way to say hello to me and see if I ever needed help with anything. His primary job is the groundskeeper at the inn. If he is needed, he will step in as a reserve on the police force. Conveniently, he was on the police force in New York. On the other hand, Rosalie is personable when the topic of the inn is brought up but tends to keep most at a distance.

Beth started chuckling. "It is ironic that Dr. Cullen is staying at what used to be this town's hospital in the 1920s. He'll be staying there until his belongings arrive from his storage unit. He wanted to instantly get going on setting up his office. Due to the costs of Jessica's hospitalization, Dr. Stanley needed the money and handed everything over right away. Dr. Cullen is keeping the office closed through the end of this week and then it will be up and running next week for all the lonely women to flock in for imaginary symptoms. Sue is going to stay on as the office manager to help get everything situated."

I just nodded in agreement. I do not want to admit it, but I wasn't really paying attention. I was still too preoccupied on the odd behavior from Mike and the fact that I now was going to have someone living closer to my house. Those two things greatly unsettled me. I began to wonder why the Doctor chose to live so far out of town when there were more homes available near the center of town. I was not about to ask Beth the reasoning or she would and could go off on another long tangent.

"Oh dear, you are probably wanting to head home now. I have kept you an hour longer than I initially asked you in for. Goodbye dear." With that she dismissed me as only Beth knew how to do.

"Goodbye Beth, have a great afternoon and congratulations on your sales!" I called out as I left the restaurant. It was such a cold afternoon and I wanted to warm myself up. I decided to go on over to the Forks and Knives Bakery and Coffee Shop to treat myself to a slice of the Heavenly Cheesecake that I planned to eat after I got off the phone with Jasper. The bakery was on my way home after all.

As I stepped in the bakery doors my nose was assaulted with a variety of sweet smells that made my mouth water. Erin, the owner of the bakery, was a native to Ferndale and knew everyone and their business. She was the next go to person, right after Beth, for the gossip. The bakery was decorated in a mismatch of Victorian colors that fit in with this town; combined with eccentric modern accents throughout. The walls were done in pink and black with small teal accents. There were tables everywhere with inviting wingback chairs around, as well as a few seating areas that were framed with couches and black leather bean bags. What made this bakery even more appealing was the fact that it was it was also an informal library with some bookshelves along one wall. Above the bookshelves was a sign that her husband carved that said "All Welcome. Take a book, leave a book!"

I would often come here and get a treat, a coffee, borrow a book, and curl up in gigantic wingback chair that was tucked in the far back corner. This spot gave the best views of the whole store and the big windows that overlooked main street.

"Good afternoon, Bella!" she said with a smile.

"Hi Erin, can I get a slice of cheesecake and a Mocha to go, please?"

"You don't want to have it here?" she asked, confused "There is no one in your chair."

"No, but thank you. I have things I need to get done before the next storm comes through."

She whipped up my drink and wrapped up my cheesecake. After paying her I started to make my way towards the door.

"Oh, Bella?"

"Yeah?"

"Did you hear that we have a new doctor in town now?"

Groaning I turned to face her. "Yeah, Beth told me. I'm not sure which one of you are going to be able to spread the news faster." I said with a wink. She threw her head back letting out a hearty laugh.

"Bye, Bella, see you later."

"Bye, Erin."

With that I secured my cheesecake in one hand, drink in the other and started on my walk home.


	5. Chapter 4

Ch. 4

*X*

**_A/N This chapter mentions the loss of a pregnancy. I have it starred where the incident takes place if you want to skip over it._**

After the hours at the diner and the odd and the uncharacteristic look I saw in Mike, I felt uneasy.

Peter had always told me to trust my gut, but the problem was I was unsure what it was saying. This whole day was just off. Perhaps this feeling was heightened due to the highly anticipated winter storm that was supposed to hit later tonight and last throughout the coming week.

Arriving home, I glanced at the darkening sky and knew that it would be beneficial for me to add more wood than I was planning to help keep my cottage warm. While I stocked the wood, I looked back on the events of the day. Today was one of those days when you thought you had more hours to get things done. Suddenly, the day was over and that one event I was both looking forward to and dreading arrived. It was almost time to call Jasper. I was late last week and did not want to be late again. My bath was going to have to wait.

I gathered my supplies - my throw blanket, phone, stopwatch, and box of Kleenex. All standard for the weekly call. After centering myself, I looked at the clock and smiled. I was on time. I pressed one on my phone. As the phone began to ring, I realized I was really looking forward to talking with him today, such a change from last week.

"Are you smiling today, Sweet Pea?"

"I will be once I apologize for my language last week."

"Nonsense- you were upset and I know you did not mean it."

I let out the breath that I was holding.

"Overall, this week was a good week. Today I went to a bakery and got a slice of their cheesecake. Seriously, it's better than the one that we used to get when you would come visit mom and me down by the pier. It makes me remember that one day we got seriously upset stomachs from all the sweets we consumed."

Jasper let out a deep chuckle. "I can't believe you remember that trip. You could not have been more than eight or nine at the time. I remember you begging to ride the rides over and over again. The tilt-a-whirl made you puke because you ate too much."

I groaned. "I forgot that part. I just remember eating all the sweets, falling asleep and waking up screaming when you were staring at me with red contacts in your eyes. Not cool, J. Not cool."

"Yeah, you're right, but it was worth it. I still remember your brown eyes practically bugging out of your head when you flew off the bed," he said with his deep laugh.

"I miss you," I sighed.

"I miss you, too, Sweet Pea. I love you. Keep your head up. When this is over I will see you again." Taking an audible breath he continued. "Stay strong. You are one of the strongest people I know. Remember you will always have my love, as well as the love of your mom and Edward; even though they are no longer here. I'll talk to you next week."

"Okay, I love you, too!" With that the line went dead.

I draped my blanket over the back of the couch, threw another log on the fire, grabbed a glass of water, and made my way upstairs to the bath. One thing I loved about this cottage is the bathroom. It's not overly large. Rather, it has a large Victorian style clawfoot tub with a pedestal sink across from it. There is nothing better than sinking to the bottom and letting the stress of the day float away.

Turning on the water as hot as I could stand it, I put the stopper in the tub, and added what some may consider copious amounts of strawberry vanilla scented bubble bath. When I was in the tub I did not want to see any part of my lower body, just the mounds and mounds of deliciously scented bubbles. Once the tub was as full as I could get it without it spilling over, I turned off the taps.

The part I hated about bathing in general was the disrobing aspect. I looked up into the mirror above the sink instead of my body. If I focused on something else, anything else, I would not have to look at my disfigured body that showed the horrors of my past. As I started to unbutton my blouse, button by button, I stared closely at my eyes. They have become such a dull brown. They lacked the spark and luster that they used to hold. He used to tell me that my eyes were so brown, rich, and deep. He claimed I could not lie for my life because my eyes would show the deception. How much things have changed since then. Sighing, I knew it would not do me any good to dwell on the past. I just needed to get through a few more steps before I could relax.

As it came time to slip my pants off, I looked at my hair. Average length brown hair with slight red highlights throughout it. I used to have my hair down to my waist, now it is shoulder length. One of the nonnegotiable parts of the deal with Peter and Charlotte was to always vary my length. If in one location it was long, then the next it needed to be short. It was never to be waist length again. He always loved my long hair.

The problem with my haircut now was that I always had to wear shirts with higher necklines due to the length of my hair not being able to always hide my tattoo now. My bluebird tattoo would show. Yet another thing I had to keep hidden and a secret. Rubbing the back of my neck, I remember the day I came running home and into his arms. Edward was sitting at his desk.

"What has you so excited today Bumblebee?"

"I did something that was spur of the moment," I said, trying to contain my smile.

He stopped what he was doing, and turned towards me. "What was so spur of the moment that has you bouncing around?" he said with that twinkle in his eyes.

Pulling down the neckline of my shirt, the very tip of the bird was visible.

He gasped. "You got a tattoo?"

"Yes! I wanted something that reminds me of how happy I am in this moment of my life." I curled up on his lap and looked into his eyes.

"Did you know that in the Native American culture that the bluebird represents happiness, joy, and contentment? All of these I feel when surrounded by your love."

He gently leaned forward and kissed my neck. When he pulled back he had tears in his eyes. "I love you."

Little did I know that damn bird would become an omen of death for me.

Keeping my eyes focused on the baby blue walls above the tub, I slowly climbed in, not wanting to rush that temporary burn on your skin you feel when first submerge yourself. The one that lets you know you are alive and still susceptible to injury. I was too caught up in my head not realizing that I was not fully submerged. I looked down and saw my most prominent scar, the jagged keloid scar that ran from one hip to the other. I quickly shut my eyes and tried to think of a wonderful memory as not to relive what that scar meant.

Suddenly, I was not in the tub anymore. I was in my house with Edward. We were getting ready to go to his company's Christmas party. I heard him hollering up the stairs. "Come on, Bumblebee. We need to get going or we're going to be late! It won't look good if the boss is late." I heard him holler as I finished pinning up all my hair.

"You try being seven months pregnant and moving around! You tell me how easy it is to squeeze into a dress that makes you look like a big red ornament!" I hollered back. Next thing I knew Edward was behind me zipping up my dress. "And what a cute little ornament you are," he said with a smirk.

Shocked at what he said I whipped around to see him standing there in his tuxedo looking so handsome with one hand in his pocket. I could not help but laugh and his expression when he saw the anger in my face.

"Come on, let's go so we can get back and I can get out of these heels already."

The evening was fun; filled with dining and dancing with college friends, employees, and their families. It was about one in the morning and I was exhausted and ready to head home. Edward, noticing this, gathered our coats and suggested that we go home. We arrived at the empty L Train platform and were waiting for its arrival. I was bundled in Edward's heavy jacket leaning back against Edward, exhausted from the day when I felt a forceful bump behind me.

"What the hell, man?" I heard Edward say while his grip tightened on me and his body went stiff.

Edward was not letting me move. I could tell he was trying to protect me.

Suddenly Edward bent down and told me to "Run. Run out of the station."

With a final "go" from him, I took off.

Looking back before running down the stairs that exited the station to see if he was following me, I saw a larger figure dressed in black wearing a hoodie holding a gun towards Edward. I heard this person say "She's mine, my little bird." followed by the bang. My eyes locked with Edward's one last time before I looked down and saw red oozing onto his white tuxedo shirt that was peeking out from his suit.

Simultaneously, I felt a sharp jab of pain in my belly that caused me to put my hand on my belly and look down. Pulling my fingers back I noticed blood on my fingers as a scream ripped through my throat. Shocked that I was shot, I took a step back, and fell down the stairs behind me. The next thing I remember was waking up at the hospital staring into the sad eyes of Jasper.


	6. Chapter 5

**Ch. 5**

***X***

Saturday January 24, 2009

The past five days were rough days. Last Monday, when I had that uneasy feeling, should have been an indicator that I was getting sick.

Tuesday, the rain had stopped before I went into work and looked like it was going to hold off until I got home, so I left my umbrella at home. The day dragged on. I'm ashamed to admit that I really was not aware of my surroundings. I could not remember who I had served, what the town gossip was, or even find the strength to ask Angela about her trip to Portland with Ben. Under normal circumstances I would have loved to hear about her romantic getaway. It would have been a great reminder that life does go on and give me hope.

After the end of my shift, feeling even worse than when I started, I went to Forks Bakery and Coffee Shop and got a large hot tea to help soothe my persistent sore throat. I did not even bother admiring my normal spot in which I normally sat. Rather, I asked for my order and went on my way. The only curling up I wanted to do involved me and my down comforter on my bed. I don't even remember saying a "goodbye or thank you" to Erin.

The day was progressively getting worse. Less than halfway home the damn sky greeted me with a torrential downpour. Not a "Hey, let's sprinkle and get you a little damp". No, this was like someone decided to turn on Niagara Falls on top and all around me. Soaked to the bone wouldn't even begin to cover the state that I was in. Shivering, I stripped out of my sopping wet clothing at the back door and ran to my bathroom and jumped in a hot shower. Once sufficiently warmed, I dried off and went to bed exhausted and not feeling well.

That night I woke up in a cold sweat with chills and a high fever. My throat felt like I took a stack of my newly purchased sand paper and decided to rub it raw i. By Wednesday morning it took all my effort to get out of bed to call in sick. Beth was worried about me as I had never missed work before. I told her that I would be okay. Angela called to see if I needed anything. I told them I was fine, that it was not that bad.

I lied. It was the worst flu that I had ever had. I did not want anyone in my house, so the only option was to lie. If Angela knew how bad I was, or even Beth on that end, they would be here daily checking on me and trying to help. Not one person has seen the set up this cottage. I am sure local townspeople have been in this house before, but they have not been in here since I made necessary modifications such as the CCTV and extra locks.

It was always dangerous for me to be sick and off my game, even more so when I was this sick. I could not take any chances. I had to hope that I would get over this quickly and before anything had the potential to happen.

Thursday was my scheduled day off so I managed to sleep the day away. I still had to struggle to get out of bed. At some point I managed to get some bottles of water onto my end table, along with the pain reliever.

Friday I was supposed to work but once again I was still not feeling well and unable to move around much. Not as close to death as I was on Wednesday and Thursday, but still extremely fatigued.

On the days that I was really sick, the storm predicted hit hard. The wind and rain were battling while pelting the sides and the roof. The power would flicker on and off. I was nervous that my surveillance cameras would go out. I had a generator, but did not refill the gas at the beginning of the week like I normally did. If the power went out completely and the generator failed, I would be even more of a target, illness aside.

Today I was feeling better but became winded easily. I hated to inconvenience the ladies at the diner, but they assured me that they had it under control. I was going stir crazy confined inside the walls of the cabin. I had not been able to check out my surroundings to note any changes. My muscles were weak and if I needed them to be able to run, I would not have been able to with my normal speed.

The weather forecast for the day stated that there was a lull in the storm patterns which meant no rain, so I was going to go out. I pulled on a pair of jeans, a warm knit sweater, and then put on my coat. I was as bundled up as I could get. I started my trek into town. It felt good to get my body moving. The walk was refreshing to my mood, albeit slower than normal. There were downed trees along the roads that the local electric company was removing and making repairs on the damages.

My only stop for the day was going to be the diner. Limited on my food supplies at home and not having the strength to carry all the groceries I needed home, I was going to get something delicious food from the diner that was not out of a can.

Tyler, the diner's chef makes a mean meatloaf. It is a special on Saturdays. I looked forward to the flavors of the meatloaf combined with the mashed potatoes. The meatloaf was your standard recipe, but what made it stand out was the mashed potatoes. Oh, those heavenly morsels of whipped potatoes with roasted garlic and mascarpone cheese folded in. My legs needed to get me there faster so I could get home and savor the flavors on my tongue.

Sunday was a scheduled day off. I planned on seeing if someone would allow me to take over their shift as a thank you for picking up my slack.

As I entered the diner Angela saw me and rushed over giving me a hug.

"Oh Bella, you still don't look well. You should be home!"

"Gee thanks Angela, why don't you just say 'You look like crap.' at least that would be the truth," I said with a grin.

"Har, har. I'll save that for the next time I see you playing hookie and not on death's door. Seriously, it looks like you were sicker than you let on," she said, levelling me with a glare. "If you ever need anything, Bella, I'm here."

Nodding I grabbed a menu.

"Hey Ang, can I get a special to go please?"

"Sure thing."

"Hey, where's Beth? I need to talk to her about my work schedule."

"Oh, she'll be right back. She ran to the back office for some more paper for the register."

Nodding I asked, "How was your trip?"

She handed me a glass of water. "Oh, it was nice, but I think Ben was ready to get back. He kept checking his phone. You know the robbery that happened over in Fortuna about three weeks back? He said that they had leads. He was hoping they would find something. You know how excited he is to be at his first job after the Academy. He didn't want to miss a thing!"

"Yes, I understand wanting to be thorough and not miss a thing." She looked at me with a questioning look but did not ask.

"Oh, did Mike ever show up at your place on Thursday? He hasn't been in since for me to ask him."

Suddenly the diner started to seem a little too hot. I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. "W-why would Mike come out to my place?"

"Well, while you were out Mike came in asking about you. He wanted to know if you left to go on vacation. Beth let it be known that you were sick so he ordered a plate to go. I'm assuming it was for you. I thought he was headed straight to your place. "

"Oh." I wracked my brain. I didn't remember him coming by the house. I was so out of it. I thought I checked out the CCTV closely, but now I wasn't sure. Suddenly, I just wanted to get home to review the tapes again. Just how out of it was I?

"Oh, Bella dear, what are you doing here?" Beth asked as she rounded the corner of the restaurant into the bar.

"Hey Beth, I was going stir crazy and wanted to stretch my legs. Plus, you know I can't resist the meatloaf."

She laughed loudly at that. "Yes, considering it's what you order every Saturday. Bella, you look awfully pale. Is it really wise for you to be out? I know it is not storming right now but it could," she said as she looked outside.

"Actually, I know tomorrow is my day off but I wanted to know if you needed me to cover for anyone? Thank you both for picking up the slack for me."

Angela came back around with my food. "No way, you have covered for us on more than one occasion. Plus, you still don't look like you feel that well. You need to go home, relax, and get your strength back so you can keep chasing Mike away," she said with a laugh. "I think you're going to need a barbed wire bat to get through to him."

After I paid for my food I made my way home as fast as I could. My muscles, albeit stiff, were starting to loosen up. Clearly, I was not one hundred percent better. By the time that I arrived back to my place I was exhausted. After dinner I would review the security footage on the cameras once again and see what it was that I must have missed.

The most pressing; why was Mike coming to my house and if he had come by why hadn't I noticed or what would I do if he did show up? I found myself once again uneasy with the new information. There is no way I could ignore it; for having had this feeling twice in one week was not a good omen. I could not help but wonder what next and why now. The sky had grown darker and more ominous looking, as the storm had rapidly arrived.


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6.**

***X***

**A/N Sorry to my followers- Real life got in the way. Next update will be Monday. **

After showering and warming up from my walk from town, I looked outside at the raging storm, grateful that I was in for the night. I headed into the living room and turned on the TV. The goal was to find a movie to watch on this Saturday evening. The local television station aired a made for television comedy that should not entice nightmares. Deciding that it was all right, I headed to the kitchen to finish prepping my dinner. Later, I would review the tapes before I headed to bed.

Walking into the kitchen, I grabbed the oven mitts and pulled the warmed meatloaf out of the oven. Suddenly, I heard the movie stop and an urgent breaking news announcement. That was odd. The station hardly ever cuts anything off unless it is a test of the National Broadcast System. Never for anything of importance.

Wondering if it was news about this fierce storm, I kept my ears open as I finished moving about in the kitchen and cleaning up the mess I had made. I caught the news reporter saying "Local priest found murdered on altar". My heart started hammering in my chest. There have to be thousands of priests in the United States, right? With my plate in hand, I make my way out of the kitchen to walk to the family room. Each step seemed as if I am walking in molasses. Fervently I prayed that it is not what I am expecting.

Arriving in the entranceway of the living room I can see the television. The newscaster, Lizzy Cope, with a red banner in the upper right corner with "Local priest found murdered on the altar" scrolling across the top. I needed to know who this person is and yet simultaneously not wanting my fears to be confirmed.

Lizzy continued on with her reporting. "Local Eureka priest was found murdered satanically. A pentagram with a bird in the very center was carved out of his chest and he was found hanging above the altar. Authorities are trying to understand the reasoning behind the symbol." The news channel showed a sketch of the bird. It was my tattoo.

My heart started hammering. No, not again! I cannot handle this again! My arms started shaking, blood was rushing in my ears. I began to chant "no, no, no" over and over again. I was holding out hope that this was a mere coincidence, that in fact it could no way be him. Eureka is less than twenty five minutes away and a city I visited every once in a while. There is no way we were this close to each other was it?

No, it is not possible. It has to be another priest. Screw the eerily similar bird. It is not him. It cannot be. The next second of my life was the longest moment in my existence. Suddenly up on the screen a picture of Jasper with his slate grey eyes appeared on the screen.

Screaming I dropped my plate and ran towards the door. I have to get out of here. That bastard took out the last of my family and he is close. So close. I need to go. I need to go.

Throwing open the door, not caring nor fully aware of where I was going, I ran. This went against all the training I received from Peter. All I could think about was to run, that I had to keep on moving. It was flight or the darkness was going to sweep in and take me under. As I was running I swore I could hear laughter following me. I kept running through the woods, seeing a pathway illuminated from the lightning that appeared over and over in the sky. While I ran was trying to frantically looking over my shoulder. When I did, I would keep seeing Jasper's pained eyes as he looked at me as I was wheeled away from him in the hospital. Were those the same eyes or the same look he had as his life was being stolen from him because of me?

My legs carried me further and faster away, the trees blurring past me. I was having a hard time seeing anything through the tears and my rain. My feet were starting to hurt. I had run out of the house in pajamas and bare feet. I had to push the pain to the back of my brain and focus on survival. I heard Jasper's words, "you are worth it" echoing in my mind. I had to do this for him. It is now only for him.

Climbing the mountain, I knew I had to go higher. If I was indeed being followed, finding higher ground and hiding through the foliage would be my only safety net. Each step was getting harder. It was taking more and more effort out of me to climb. My body was now soaked. The chill in the air was seeping into my bones. Looking down I noticed my clothing was ripped. Hearing a snap of a branch not far behind me, I had to keep moving forward.

My feet were sliding and slipping the further up the steep mountain I went. I came upon a small rocky ledge and there was no way to keep going up. Stopping and breathing hard while trying to catch my breath I realized I had to go around it. However, the dirt in front of the ledge was less than two feet wide. Hearing another snap close again along with a low 'tsk- tsk' sound, I hugged the rocks and attempted to scurry past.

I was almost to the edge that would give way to more of an expanse of dirt and trees rather than rocks when it happened. The soaked ground crumbled under my feet. Screaming, I desperately grabbed at the rocks trying to stop my fall. Trees whipping past me, a scream left my lips as blinding pain ripped through me and the world was spinning around me. Colors of the darkened earth blurred past me. Jasper's eyes were still staring at me with concern and now Edward's eyes were there, too. Those piercing Jade green orbs that knew everything. How I longed to look upon his face again and have this all be a dream. With one last bounce the world went black.

This feeling of being weightless and numb was relaxing. In this dark place, where ever this was, I did not have to think about Jasper being so close to me all this time and still ending up dead. What would have happened if I would have seen him? Could I have gone to him and hugged him one last time? Would I have been able to leave him again? As I thought about him, his full image appeared in front of me reclining at his desk, leaning back with his arms crossed behind his head. Giving me the smirk that I have always associated with him. He spoke. "Sweet Pea, I love you. Do not get stuck in the what-ifs. Live for the present, the now, and the future. Your life is worth it. Fight! Do not give up. You did not make it this far to give it up. You need to have faith." He uncrossed his arms, standing slowly from his desk and faded away.

Tears, in this room of nothingness, poured down my face. Next thing I knew I felt the ghosting of a hand on my cheek. Looking towards the feeling, there he was, holding a small baby in a pink blanket. Gasping "Edward," he smiled at me. His eyes having that twinkle in them that I missed so much. Speaking in a voice I have missed, "Bumblebee it will be okay, it will be okay Bumblebee, it is almost over. I will always love you." He looked down at the tiny bundle, "We will always love you. But you must fight and not give up!" Locking my eyes into his I watched him slowly fade away.

Slowly, consciousness found me. I became aware of rain falling on me, the near pitch black night only illuminated by the lightning streaks across the sky, pain filling me, and someone calling my name. All of this ran in a dizzying whirl of thoughts and memories. Realization of what happened earlier flooded my mind at once. I knew that I needed to move. Attempting to get up, I find that my head is pounding, and stars cloud my vision. I must keep going and keep fighting through the pain. Bringing my right leg under me I attempt to stand. Shifting my weight to allow myself to get up, pain so crippling knocks me back down again. Hearing a strange voice calling "Bella! Bella!" right next to me, I attempt to stand again.

This time I manage to get up. I attempt to run again, my right leg burning with pressure put on it. In this moment I know that my time must be coming to an end, for my name being called is right over my shoulder. Not seeing the tree root in front of me, I trip and fall down hard once again. My breath was knocked out of me. Crying out from a new level of pain and exhaustion, I want to give up.

Feeling a hand touch my shoulder I scream out. Would he not have killed me by now that my back is turned to them? Trying to remember the strength from Jasper and Edward, be it real or a dream, I knew I was going to have to fight to keep on. Gritting my teeth I summoned all of my courage and strength. I was not going to go down without a fight. I put in more effort to stand yet once again.

"Bella, Bella, it's ok!" I hear this person shouting.

"I'm going to turn you over but I need you to remain calm," this male voice was saying to me.

Slowly and, dare I say gently, I was being turned over. It was dark enough I could not see his face. Attempting to scramble backwards he applies some pressure to my shoulder.

"Whoa, careful there, you're ok. Bella, I am Doctor Carlisle Cullen. I am not going to hurt you."

Suddenly, there was a flash of lightning from the storm, lighting up the sky and his face. All I could see was the crystal blue eyes that have been a source of comfort to me in my dreams. My world went dark once again.


	8. Chapter 7

**Ch. 7**

***X***

***CPOV***

I had arrived in this town five days ago. I called the number for a vacant doctor's position that a good friend heard about from an acquaintance. He knew that I was needing a change of pace from my military background and service. There was always the option to re-up but the passion for that aspect of my job died. I was tired of seeing death and destruction on the frontlines of the war that we were being directed to fight. There were many good soldiers that I considered friends that ended up wounded and more often fatally killed.

It was time to leave Fort Bragg and venture on a new life experience. One that would have a slower pace. I earned it. Too much death and destruction can destroy a man, including his faith in the world around him. I lived for my faith, and the hope that anything could get better. I had the feeling that my time was now needed somewhere else. I was just needing a sign. So when my friend gave me the ad, I knew that this was what I was looking for.

I packed my rucksack and headed west to a new experience that was guaranteed to be a much slower pace than my former profession. I was very excited to hear of a town that needed a small clinic run. I looked forward to tending to minor injuries and inpatient surgeries that I could perform in a small office setting. It was through a horrific event that almost cost a young lady her life that opened the door for me to come in and start my own practice. I would not take a moment for granted. My gut told me that this was the correct direction in my life to head.

I was very fortunate that I invested my inheritance in sound business deals. This, in combination with my savings, allowed me to acquire both the practice and my house simultaneously. Pulling off of Highway 101, I exited the only exit to get into Ferndale. I was anxious to begin this next chapter of my life.

To say I was shocked was an understatement. I had crossed over the only bridge to get into this town and was almost immediately on Main Street -total of three blocks long. Pulling up to the Gingerbread Mansion, I got out and stretched. Taking in a deep breath of air, I breathed in the new smell of home, a routine I have done every time I have returned to the mainland. After checking into the bed and breakfast, I went up to my room, unpacked and waited for the realtor, Beth Brady, to show up.

Beth came highly recommended as a great business associate who got what she needed done and finalized without any issues or problems. She also knew the ins and the outs of this town and knowing everyone, it helped her get the paperwork off and finalized. So within one day I had papers signed for both my new business and my home. I would only be staying at the Bed and Breakfast for a week. There were plenty of housing options in town, but I liked the peace and serenity that the distance provided. The widow Brandon's house was just what I was looking for. I would only be staying at the Bed and Breakfast for a week.

During my first week in Ferndale, I spent time acquainting myself with my office and getting to know my office manager, Sue Clearwater, and her daughter, Leah, who was my nurse. After my first afternoon in the office, Sue informed me that I needed a break and sent me to the Fork and Knife Bakery and Coffee Shop. After one visit I was hooked. Every day afterwards I would head down the street to it to relax in the comfortable chairs during my lunch break and go through some of the more pressing patient files trying to familiarize myself with future cases in order to be prepared.

It was on one such lunch break that I first saw her. This beautiful petite brunette who came in on an overcast Tuesday. She was so focused on getting in and out she did not even look around. I was disappointed in myself that I had not thought to order after her - having an excuse to introduce myself. Maybe my disappointment was clearly written on my face, or if by happenstance it was my lucky day. Erin came over to talk with me. It was during this conversation I learned that the beauty that caught my attention was named Bella. I could only hope that I would see her again soon.

The rest of the week was busy with settling into my practice. Every day I hoped to get back to the coffee shop for my lunch in hopes of seeing her again, but life had other plans. Doctor Stanley was not very organized. His system was antiquated at best. The whole week was spent organizing, filing, and converting the medical records online.

Before I knew it Saturday was here. I checked out of the Gingerbread Mansion. Before my deployment I had all my belongings as well as those of my parents placed in storage. It was easy enough to call a moving company to pick the items up and drop off here. Emmett was more than happy to get out of the normal routine of grounds keeping. He joined me on the drive out to my place to help me meet the moving truck. He pointed out who lived at each house and told me that my closest neighbor was Bella Swan, pointing out the house that we passed en route to my place. Could this be the Bella from the coffee shop? I could not help but notice out of the corner of my eye, the way he kept looking at her house intently.

The day was spent unpacking and looking out the window at the storming weather. At one point Emmett, while laughing, told me to "Get used to it, because it happens a lot around here." It was around six in the evening when the storm really picked up. After Emmett left, I decided it was time to unwind and relax my muscles in the shower.

Stepping out, I dressed in my sweats and was just getting ready to eat when I heard what I thought was a woman screaming. Standing up and trying to listen through the thunder, I heard it again. I was not mistaken. Running out back in the direction I heard the scream, I saw a woman tumbling down the steep mountainside, coming to a stop within 20 feet of my back door. I was running to her and noticed she was attempting to stand. She should not be moving after such a fall. She does not make it very far before she falls again. At that moment the sky was illuminated by lightning and I noticed it was Bella. The shock was shoved to the back of my mind to be dealt with later. I began to yell her name as I got closer to her.

"Bella, Bella"

She attempted to stand again, dragging her right leg behind her. She tripped on something and fell down hard again, hitting her head on the ground. She remained with her face down in the mud and unmoving. I knew had to go into the house to call an ambulance, but I was terrified to leave her alone out here in the rain. One more time, I planned on trying to rouse her. "Bella, Bella." Getting ready to stand I noticed she started to open her eyes.

I had to pray that she was okay. I crouched down next to her again and placed my hand on her body getting ready to flip her over, when I felt her trying to move to stand again. Hearing her scream I released her. What demons could possibly be haunting her? Seeing this fear in others on the battlefield I knew I had to snap her out of this state she was in.

I braced myself for any possible reaction and placed my hand on her shoulder again. "Bella, Bella, it's ok!" I shout at her over the thunder that is getting louder."I am going to turn you over, I need you to remain calm" I said in a relaxing tone.

Very carefully I turned her over, watching her try to decipher who I could be."Whoa, careful there, you're ok. Bella, I am Doctor Carlisle Cullen. I am not going to hurt you."

The lighting was horrible and attempting to use the illumination from the lightning like I had done many times before, I leaned forward to do a quick assessment of her pupils. Her deep brown eyes locked with mine, where she promptly passed out. Deciding that she was safe enough to move out of the storm, I picked her up and brought her into my living room where she would be out of the storm.


	9. Chapter 8

**Ch.8**

***X***

BPOV

"Bella, I am not going to hurt you." I heard come from my left.

Slowly I came to, noticing that I was inside a house. Attempting to stave off the panic, I took notice of my surrounding. I was wrapped in a warm blanket in a well lit room. My hair was dripping everywhere and there was a trail of water that had started from my temple down my face and under my jaw. Grabbing the blanket, I wiped away the moisture and looked at the man situated on the coffee table to my right. I had to hope he was really not going to hurt me. I just could not move any more.

Quickly I locked eyes with the strange man with those haunting blue eyes. I noticed his physical attributes. He was tall, well built, blond and middle aged. Also soaking wet. I could not remember what he said his name was. His eyes held compassion and worry. Could I trust this man whose eyes had been a source of comfort in my dreams?

Running his hand through his wet locks, he spoke. "Bella, let me try this again. I'm Dr. Carlisle Cullen. I heard a scream, ran outside and found you lying unconscious in my backyard."

Searching my memory, I recalled that Beth said that a new doctor was in town and had purchased the widow Brandon's property. That gave me a focal point. I did not make it as far as I thought. Disappointed, I looked at him. "Do I know you?"

He shifted uncomfortably and I felt the hair on the back of my next rise. "No, we haven't met in town yet."

I struggled to sit up. I used my scraped hands to push myself up and back against the cushions. Pain radiated from my right foot, which made me gasp out in pain. Dr. Cullen made to help me and I shook my head in fear. Seeing this, he halted his movement towards me and sat back down rubbing the back of his neck.

I managed to stammer out, "How?"

A small smile formed on his lips and his cheeks flushed a delicate pink. "I, um, saw you at the Fork and Knife on Tuesday. I was sitting in the far back corner during my lunch break looking over some paperwork when you came in. You were in and out rather quickly. Erin, I believe, was very happy to tell me who you were."

Remembering that I was in a hurry and not feeling well, all I could do was nod. That day was just a haze. It was not a surprise that Erin would talk about anyone in this town. A small town and she liked to be the one that was spreading the news.

"Bella, I'm just going to stand for a moment and go right over there."

I turned my head to see which direction he was talking about. Watching him get up and walk away, I looked towards the front door. Feeling the pain radiating through my body, I knew I wouldn't be able to make it so I redirected my attention towards Dr. Cullen. His strides were strong and purposeful, and yet moving with an innate grace.

Before I realized it he was back with hot coffee in his hands. "I made some coffee for you. Would you like some cream and sugar?"

Shaking my head no I took the coffee from him. "Thank you."

Attempting to sit up, while not spilling the coffee, I winced in pain.

"Bella, I need to either call an ambulance, take you to the hospital, or assess you myself. That was a pretty good fall you took and you were out for a while."

I could not help my reaction. I began to shake with silent tears pouring down my face. "No hospitals". I knew my identification should keep me safe, but my injuries, x-rays, and scans would show more than I would be able to explain. Most likely I would have to check out against medical advice and, hopefully, not have to leave town once again. As it was, how was I to explain my scars to Dr. Cullen?

He noticed my reaction and began to look around. "Bella, do you want to go to my office where I can tend to you? Or would you like to stay here? If you do choose to stay here, perhaps you would like me call someone to be with you. Would that make you more comfortable?"

I could not help but stare. Could it be that he really wasn't trying to hurt me? Would I want someone to come here to be with me? No. I decided I did not - could not have someone here. The only person that knew of all my scars was that of Dr. Stanley, but I was protected under the patient confidentiality rights. If I were to call Angela, then she would see, and this would lead to questions I knew I wouldn't be able to avoid. Shaking my head slowly I responded with a slow, "No, thank you".

He nodded and moved closer to me. I tried to not to flinch. He smiled softly at me as he saw the movement.

"It's alright, Bella. I'll tell you everything I plan on doing before I do it." He paused and looked at me to make sure I understood. "If you have any questions on what I am going to do, ask. I'll start at the top of your body and work my way down to your feet."

I nodded my head and watched as he reached over to the table picking up a pen light.

"I'm going to look into your eyes and make sure we are not dealing with a severe concussion."

After he had shined his light into my eyes, he hummed at whatever it was he saw. He had me do standard procedures such as touching my fingers to my nose, squeezing his fingers, and naming the day of the week.

"Bella, I'm now going to now press your abdomen."

Before he was able to lift my shirt, my hand shot out and landed on his to get his attention.

He looked up at me startled. "Is this area sore?"

I shook my head and tried to get words to come. How much could I tell him? How much should I tell him?

"No. I'm scarred."

Dr. Cullen gave a quick nod. "I've seen my fair share of scars, Bella." He said as he lifted the hem of my shirt. "Before I came here I was a doctor stationed out of Fort Bragg and spent many years on the front lines of the war. Every scar will tell a story." He paused as he looked over my wounds. As he gently pressed around he continued. "The most important being that you're still alive."

After he was done examining my stomach, he pulled the hem of my shirt down.

"I'm going to look at your legs and feet closer. When you attempted to run I noticed the way you were moving. When you were unconscious, I took the liberty to clean the cuts on your feet, but now I need to take a closer look."

At my nod he moved down and touched my right foot. I winced and sucked in air at the pain from his touch.

"It's a grade three ankle sprain, I'm afraid," he said as he moved it around. "You're going to be placed on R.I.C.E.," he said with a wink.

I was confused. "How is rice supposed to help my ankle?"

He laughed as he rested my foot upon the pillows of the couch. "R is rest. I is ice. C is compression. E is elevation." He got up and walked to what I assumed was a bathroom. Not long afterwards he came out with an Ace bandage in his hands.

I watched his movements as he walked across the room and back towards my foot on the couch. He stopped, opened his hands, showing me a small packet of Advil. "I'd like you to take these to help with the swelling and pain right now." He opened the packet and placed the two pills in my hand.

I nodded and placed the Advil in my mouth while he handed me my coffee in the other. Once I had swallowed the pills, he wrapped my ankle, apologizing for every gasp of pain that came out of my mouth. When he was finished, he grabbed a dry blanket and draped it over my lap. He sat back down on the coffee table with his elbows resting on his knees.

"Bella, I think we need to talk."


	10. Chapter 9

**Ch 9**

***X***

The room came to a sudden halt when Dr. Cullen told me that we needed to talk. Resigned that my life was over anyways, all I could do was nod. There was no point to keep living. Everyone I loved had been killed, just for having known me. There was nothing left to hold onto.

Doctor Cullen shifted his weight, which drew my attention back to him. He had a concerned look on his face. I had no idea on where to even begin, where to start. The events from today had rattled me to my core. I fervently hoped if he wanted to talk he would start, for I was lost. I locked eyes with him and hoped he would understand. It was time to let someone in because I had nothing left. If he intended to kill me, at least I would have gotten everything off of my chest. It was just that first step was the hardest.

"I need to let you know that you're safe here. I don't know what had you so scared and caused you to run, but I am going to repeat myself, you are safe!" He paused waiting to see if I understood.

When I said nothing, he sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"I know that earlier you didn't want me to call someone to come sit with you, perhaps you've changed your mind? Would you like me to call a friend or family member to come for you?"

I shook my head again and looked down at my fingers that were wound tight around the blanket. I tried to talk but nothing came out.

"Bella, look at me!" he said with a firm tone. I locked eyes with him as a tear slipped out of my eye. "Why do you not want help? Or why do you not want to call someone?"

I tried to hold back the tears that were threatening to fall. It was with a quiet voice that I whispered, "They're all gone. "

"What do you mean they're all gone?"

I whispered, "My husband, my daughter, my g-god father; they are all dead, because of me."

I could hear his gasp, but continued on.

"It's safer if you don't associate with me. Everyone that I get close to is killed. I need to leave." In my attempt to get up, I swung my legs over the side of the couch in order to stand. The sudden change in my position caused me to grab onto my head in an attempt to make the room stop its movement.

"Bella, careful!"

I tried to not flinch when his hand pressed against my shoulder keeping me down on the couch.

"I cannot let you go until you either have someone else come and get you to take you back home or you show signs that you're better. You said you don't have anyone to call so you're more than welcome to stay here. I had plans to unpack this weekend," he said as he gestured around the room to the boxes still piled up by the doorways.

I bit my lip. I couldn't run away while I was in such a state. "I don't feel safe in my home. I was attempting to get away."

"Can you tell me what caused you to take off running in such a storm and in such a state of dress?" he asked with concern in his voice.

As I was about to answer, his cell phone began to ring. "Ignore it Bella, if it's important they will call back."

I nodded and was ready to tell him about the news tonight as a starting point, when his phone rang again. With a sigh, Dr. Cullen stood up and walked to the entry table where he had his cellphone charging.

"Dr. Cullen speaking." There was a slight pause. His posture became more rigid. "I see. Yes, I'll be able to make it down." He stopped and turned to face me. He had an intense stare and was looking at me with a critical eye. "I do know where Bella Swan is, in fact." He continued on. "She is here at my house."

He paused and my heart hammered even harder in my chest. Why would someone be asking about me? Did they know I knew Jasper? What do I do now? So lost in my head I did not hear more of Dr. Cullen's conversation with the caller until he was about ready to hang up.

"I'll make sure of it. Thank you, Ben. I'll meet you at the river in a little bit." With a resound sigh, he hung up his phone and placed it back on the table. He brought his left hand up to his forehead, and slightly squeezed his temple before dragging the palm down his face, where he slightly curled his fingers around his chin. After he took a few deep breaths, he removed his hand from his face and made his way back to me, where he reclaimed his seat on the coffee table to the right of me.

I could not help but worry. I had seen that look on countless faces before, starting when I woke up in the hospital. It was the look that told me I wasn't going to like the news that I was going to hear. I braced myself for the news that was going to come.

"That was Officer Ben Cheney. I do believe you know him, correct?"

"Yes, I know Ben," I said with a confused voice. "Why is he looking for me?"

He paused for a moment, resting his elbows on his legs and steepling his index fingers and bringing them together at his lips while he rested his chin on his thumbs.

"He went by your house tonight due to some official police business and noticed your house lights were on and the door was wide open in this storm. He knew that you didn't have a car and after searching your house to see if you were okay. He noticed the broken plates and food on the floor. He started driving back into town searching the roads, hoping that you had checked in with Angela or Beth. After he contacted them and found out that you had not, he was getting ready to head out again at Angela's insistence. It just happened that he needed me for something else."

He paused again watching my face as I frantically tried to process that another person was at my place, first Mike, supposedly, and now Ben stepped foot in my house and had seen the interior. How could I leave the door open? Then again, how could I have run out barefoot, in my pajamas, and not aware of the direction I was heading? I started to shake. Too many emotions were running through my body that I was not able to process them at once. I was on the verge of a full blown panic attack when I heard a loud clap which drew my attention back to Dr. Cullen. He was holding his hands together.

"Bella, you need to stay with me. Focus on my eyes and copy my breathing," he said. I mimicked his breathing and started to calm down.

After I calmed down some, I looked at him and gave a small smile. "Thank you, Dr. Cullen. That is the quickest someone has been able to get me out of a potential panic attack. I haven't had one in many months, but when they do hit, they're severe."

He nodded his head taking in what I had told him. "Please call me Carlisle. I want you to trust me, need you to trust me," he said, looking into my eyes. "I want to be able to help you, but you need to have faith."

I gasped. That was the last thing that Jasper said to me in the void before he disappeared. Could he have been trying to tell me something? I nodded. I had to believe.

"Alright, Carlisle, I'll try."

He reached out slowly and placed his hand upon my knee, "I have to run into town for work. I'm sorry to do this so soon after finding you outside. You're safe here and I'll be back." He stood up quickly and walked into a room just off the living room, returning with some dry clothes.

"Here are some dry clothes for you to change into. I am afraid they'll be rather large on you but more comfortable than the wet clothes you're wearing. Let me help you up and into the bathroom where you can change."

He helped me get up and make my way into the bathroom. I didn't know how I would have managed to move without his help. My foot was hurting with any attempt to apply pressure. All I could do was lean heavily on him. He helped me to the edge of the bathroom sink where he placed his clothing on the edge of the counter. "I would prefer that you stay here in your condition. At least for the next twenty four hours so I can watch your concussion." At my nod, he turned to walk out of the bathroom. "I'm going to go change into something dry myself and then I'll be back."

"Thank you," I said as he closed the bathroom door. My undressing was full of slow and painful movements. I slipped into the dry sweats and shirt embellished with the Army logo down one leg. After a few failed attempts, I managed to stand up and fully pull the pants on, but was unable to bend over and roll up the legs due to the feeling of being unbalanced. Before I had time to fully process the events of waking up on Dr. Cullen's, I mean Carlisle's, couch, I heard a knock at the door.

"Bella, are you finished?"

"Yes, I am."

"May I enter?"

"Yes, you may."

He walked into the bathroom in a pair of well worn jeans and a button down shirt that was opened, showing off a navy shirt underneath. I could not help but stare at how attractive he was. I snapped myself out of my stupor. What was that about? I hadn't noticed any man in that way since Edward. He came up to me and looked at the pooled length of fabric at my feet. He chuckled.

"May I?" he asked as he gestured to the base. Upon my nod he bent down and rolled up the pant legs.

"I tried but I became really dizzy when I leaned over to do that."

He smiled softly at me. "That's perfectly normal with a concussion. Let's get you back to the couch. There's dry blanket for you." He helped me to my feet and back to the couch very slowly.

After making sure I was comfortable, he asked "Do you need me to bring you anything from your house?"

I paused at this question. I now knew that Ben was inside it and that Mike was possibly there the other day. Did I want yet another person invading my space? I shook my head no.

Carlisle nodded, stood up, walked to the table, grabbed his cell phone and handed it to me. "I shouldn't be gone long. If you get scared, call 911." With that he left the house. I had no choice but to get comfortable on the couch and soon I fell into a deep sleep.


	11. Chapter 10

**Ch. 10**

***X***

**A/N: This chapter has a similar flashback earlier in it with the mention of a pregnancy loss. I will star the section at the beginning and the end of it if you feel you must skip past it.**

**BPOV**

I woke up with a start, panicking because I didn't remembering where I was. After I blinked my eyes rapidly, the events from the past couple hours filtered into my head. The last thing I could remember was being on the couch in Carlisle's living room; it was dark and storming outside. Now there was sunlight streaming in. I made a quick note that I was still on his couch with an extra blanket on top of me. To my right was a plate with pancakes, eggs, bacon and more coffee. I could not help but smile. I hadn't had breakfast presented to me in such a manner in a long time. I struggled to sit up, sore from the events of last night. After I got comfortable, I managed to reach for the coffee. My first order of business was to figure out what my next plan of attack was going to be given my current situation of limited mobility. The question was how to move around when my foot was a hinderance and hurt me so.

I looked at the path from the couch to the bathroom to see if there was anything I could grab onto to help take the pressure off of my foot. There on the edge of the couch was a pair of crutches. I leaned over, grabbed them, and pulled myself up to hobble on them towards the bathroom. I was touched at the thought Carlisle put into my recovery.

In the bathroom I thought of Carlisle. There was something about him that drew me in. I felt that he was genuine in his words. In some ways he reminded me of Jasper and Edward. Did they send him to me?

After I finished up the bathroom, I slowly made my way out and towards Carlisle's voice. He turned when he heard me come in and smiled. I noticed he was on his cell phone. He gestured towards the table and chairs. When I reached them he pulled out the chair for me to sit down. With a quiet "thank you" to him he nodded his head and went and grabbed another cup of coffee, filled it, and placed it in front of me.

"That is quite all right, Ben. It was no problem for me to come down. I'll check with her and see if we can get her to you today. Yes, yes, I'll be in touch, and I'll look into anything I can on that symbol for you." He hung up the phone, grabbed his mug of coffee and looked at me. "How are you feeling?"

I looked down at my right leg. "It hurts to walk on. Thanks for the crutches. I'm not sure how I would have been able to move around without them."

"I'm afraid it will be for sometime. You're not going to be able to work for at least a week."

I groaned. I forgot about work. I had to call into the diner and request even more time off. Great. Before I could think on that, Carlisle handed me more pain relievers. I was very happy to have something to help with the pain.

"When I came back around midnight you were out, so I covered you with an extra blanket. I wasn't sure if you were going to wake up in the middle of the night so I left the bottle of Advil next to you. You were still out when I came downstairs at seven."

I looked down at the mug in my hands. "Thank you for the breakfast. That was a really nice thing to wake up to after the day I had." Looking up at him I gestured to the seat across from me. "Would you like to sit down? I believe I owe you some form of explanation," I said, then bit my lip. It would be easier if I detached myself from the situation, as if I was reading information from a sheet of paper, making the people in it become just names, names that would not mean anything to me until I could deal with them again.

After he pulled out his seat, he sat down and faced me. "Alright, Bella, I am ready when you are."

"I was married in my twenties to Edward Masen. He was a brilliant man and owned his own business that he started right after we graduated from college. The success of his business took off in Chicago. It was a Saturday night over two years ago that we had left his company Christmas party and made our way to the L train to head home. I was seven months pregnant and exhausted. Normally we would have taken a cab but I was so tired I thought that the train would be faster than calling for and waiting for a cab." I stopped and I took a deep breath in and then exhaled.

I continued to look at the cooling coffee in my mug. "The station was deserted when we were waiting for the train and I leaned against Edward looking forward to getting home and going to bed. There was a bump from behind me and Edward tried to protect me from whomever bumped into him. The next thing I knew he told me to run and get out of the station. I had never heard such a tone come from Edward and I knew it would be best to listen to him. Something was not right."

I moved the mug back and forth between my hands, biting on my lip again as the memory flashed through my mind. "I ran to the exit at the top of the stairs that lead down to the exit and the street below. When I got there, I had stopped and turned to see if Edward was coming and noticed blood coming from his chest, bleeding onto his white shirt. Almost simultaneously I felt a jab in my belly. I placed my hand on it. I pulled it back and saw more blood." Without thought I looked at my hands on the kitchen table. "I was shot. The bullet that was shot into Edward's back had passed through him and h-hit", I paused again, willing the tears not to fall, "hit me in my protruding stomach. I took a step back in shock and tumbled down the stairs to the street below."

"Days later when I woke up in the hospital, I found out that an officer had just pulled over someone for a ticket and was right at the exit. He called an ambulance to the scene when he heard my scream and saw me land on the ground. They couldn't save my husband or my daughter. I woke up to my godfather in the hospital. The police came to question me on the man at the station and what was said."

As I looked at my hands, I continued on. "I don't remember much. He was large, dressed in dark colors, and made a reference to me 'being his, his little bird'. I think he was talking about my tattoo." I reached back and rubbed my hands across the back of my neck under my hair.

I heard a gasp come from Carlisle and his chair move. Quickly I looked up from my cup to his concerned eyes.

"Bella, may I see your tattoo?"

At my nod he walked over to my side, and I pulled my hair up with one hand.

"I'm going to touch you now to pull down the neckline a little more."

I felt him place one hand on my shoulder that had the arm that was holding up my hair. I felt his fingers brush my neck very carefully and then hook under the hemline of the shirt. He pulled it down and muttered something I couldn't understand. He gently squeezed my shoulder and released the hemline of the shirt and took a step back. I watched him step over and grab his mug of coffee from the table and make his way to the sink.

He placed both hands upon the ledge of the sink and stared into the basin. Not looking up he said, "Bella, I need to take you down to the police station. When you came in earlier I was on the phone with Ben Cheney. He has a few questions for you." He turned to look at me , concern showing in his eyes. "I told him I would bring you in." He took his hand and rubbed the back of his neck. "I'll bring you back here after you're finished or take to you by your house first then back here. There are some reports that I must attend to in my office from last night."

Something was wrong. All I could was nod. Carlisle gave me a sad smile.

"I laundered your wet clothes and put them in the downstairs bedroom for you. I'll go and lay them out for you in the bathroom with a clean toothbrush. Once you're ready to leave we'll get this day over with. Alright?" he said with a forced smile.

With my nod, he walked out of the room, which left me a moment to compose myself. I took a deep breath and centered myself before I grabbed my crutches and headed to change and face what life was going to throw at me next.


	12. Chapter 12

Ch. 11

*X*

CPOV.

I held myself together until I heard Bella enter the bathroom. Once the door clicked shut I could not help but lean up against the wall and stare up at the ceiling as I let out a slow, drawn out breath of air. The images that she described to me were horrifying. She had tried to distance herself from the situation by being as concise and to the point as she could be as she told her story. I had seen that line of answering many times during military interviews that I conducted. It was the easiest way to get through the facts without losing yourself in the memory.

Last night on her first attempt to open up to me, I received that damned phone call. How I hated to have to break away and leave her. Unfortunately, the police needed me to come and confirm the death of a victim that was found washed up along the Eel River. The body was discovered by some teenagers when they noticed what they initially thought was an odd shaped log. Due to the small size of the town, I needed to confirm that the body was in fact deceased before they could move it to the morgue instead of driving it to the hospital in the next city over.

As I left her at the house I had many questions that circulated in my head as I made my way to the body. I did not like the fact that she had no one she could turn to, and with her injuries, I did not feel good with the idea that she would be alone. Why was she running? And why on foot, barefoot nonetheless? Did she not have a vehicle to use? What is she hiding? Even more importantly, what would I do with the information that I hoped she would open up and tell me.

Arriving on the scene, I pulled over behind the police cars and got out into the pouring rain. The first person that greeted me was Emmett. After shaking his hand, he lead me over towards the body.

"Emmett, I wish I could say it was good seeing you tonight. What are you doing out here?"

"They needed someone who was not afraid to go for a swim and pull the body out of the water." It was winter and the river water was very cold. He looked as if he was always up for a challenge or a thrill, so I could see why they would call upon him.

"I heard that Bella Swan is at your place, is she alright?"

"She will be."

At that moment Ben came up as well and stuck his hand out.

"Thanks for coming out here in this storm. I am sure that you would rather be anywhere but here. At least you're still dry," he said as he gestured to his wet clothing. "The body is this way."

"Thank you."

I followed Ben and Emmett towards the body that was covered by a blue tarp. They had moved the body to the ground in front of the police cars with the lights shining on the tarp in order to see the body. Emmett quickly left to go finish taping off the crime scene as he was not an active duty officer. Ben pulled back the tarp exposing the man on the ground, who was pale and lifeless with blue lips, and a bird carved on the center of his chest. I could tell from the markings that he was alive when it was done, with a sharp weapon no less. Whatever instrument used caused this man a lot of pain in the process. Basically, he was tortured to death. I wondered what that symbol meant. I knew I had a book in my office on the occult, perhaps this was tied to that in some way.

After I did an obligatory search of life - even though a quick glance at the decay on the body was confirmation enough that he was not alive. Based on my observations he had to have been dead for at least two days. I said a silent prayer for him.

Ben came and stood next to me looking down on the corpse. "That there is Michael Newton. Everyone knows him as Mike. He was last seen on Wednesday leaving the diner by Angela Webber and myself. He was supposedly on his way to see Bella Swan. Angela claims Bella never saw him, but I am going to need to talk to Bella Swan and soon."

Finished with my examination, I reached over and grabbed the tarp and covered Mike again. I stood and shook hands with Ben. "I'll make sure to bring her over tomorrow for you." With a final goodbye to a few extra officers and a mention to Ben that I may have a book with a reference to that symbol, I quickly rushed to my office and grabbed a pair of crutches to help Bella around. I would look for the book the next day. I then rushed back to my house and hoped that Bella would still be there and not have gone and done something stupid.

Once I arrived home, I stopped off in the living room relieved to see that Bella was sound asleep on the couch. The fear that she would have left while I was gone had been nagging my mind while I was away. Part of me wanted to stay downstairs and keep an eye on her to make sure that she was alright. The other part did not want her to think that I was stalking her and not allowing her the freedom to leave if she felt she must. With a sigh, I made the decision that I needed to give her the space to decide what was best for herself. After I left crutches at the head of the couch so they would be within an easy grabbing distance, and placed a bottle of pain reliever on the coffee table, I grabbed another blanket and laid it over her slightly shivering form. I turned off all the lights except for one in the bathroom in case Bella woke up. Finally, I placed our wet clothes into the wash. Once that menial task was completed, I started the trek upstairs and into bed. I fell asleep thinking of those haunted brown eyes that were shut tightly downstairs.

Five AM brought my normal wake up time. It had become so ingrained in me from my years in the military. After a quick check downstairs to make sure Bella was in fact still in the house, I threw the clothes in the dryer of the garage and did my workout for the day. It was seven by the time I had finished my exercise and morning routine. Bella was sound asleep on the couch and it did not look like she had moved much during the night.

I needed to get her to open up to me and I hoped that my window of opportunity that had presented itself the last night was still open. Did a solid night's rest shut down that opportunity? Was there something that I could do in order to help keep it open? I remember when my parents were together, my father would say that the the best way to get a woman to open up and talk was to sweep her off of her feet. The only option I currently had was to be a sounding board for her. I could not call myself a friend at this point, although I would not mind if I was more. I was going to attempt to feed her with my mad cooking skills. Snorting, I could hear my mom saying, "The way to a man's heart is his stomach." Would it be too much to hope that this would work for Bella, too?

After her breakfast was prepared and placed next to the medicine on the table, I made my way back into the kitchen and started to replay the events of the night before. Why would someone do something so cruel to anyone, let alone a youthful man. He couldn't have been much older than I was. It seemed as if he was well known and well liked in the community which left the question, why him?

The phone rang pulling me out of my thoughts. After a quick glance at the caller ID, I answered.

"Good morning, Ben."

"Good morning, Dr. Cullen."

"Please, call me Carlisle."

"Alright I will. We need some paperwork filled out and signed that I forgot to give you last night. Is there any way that you can swing by the station? I'm assuming that Bella is still there with you as well. If so, could you bring her down to see me today? I would rather get this matter sorted out so I could enjoy some of my weekend."

Before I was able to answer I heard Bella enter the kitchen.

"That's quite all right. It will be no problem; I was planning on running into my office for some information as it was. I'll check with her and see if we can get her to you today."

"Alright thank you. Please keep in touch and let me know if you can bring Bella in or figure out anything on that symbol that was on Mike's chest."

"Yes, yes, I will be in touch, and I will look into anything I can on that symbol for you." I hung up the phone and grabbed my mug of coffee and greeted Bella.

When the bathroom door opened, I was brought back into the present moment. I could not even begin to wrap my head around the tattoo. Honestly I dealt best by compartmentalizing things and I would do this once I was in my office. Bella was changed back into her now dry clothes. She forced a smile and I returned one back.

"Ready?" I asked.

"I just want to get today over with."

I opened and held the door leading into the garage. After I helped her into the car, I took the crutches and placed them in the back seat. With a sigh, I got in the driver's seat and took off towards the police station.

After parking in front of the station, I turned to her. "Bella, I'll help you into the station -I have some paperwork to collect. Here is my cell number." I handed her a business card with my number written on the back. "Call me when you're done and I'll come back and get you. I'll take you wherever you want to go."

After helping her out of the car, I held onto the crutches until she was stable. We entered the station and waited at the front desk for Ben Cheney to arrive. As we were waiting, Emmett McCarty came down the hall and stopped suddenly at seeing Bella on crutches. He ignored me completely and came right up to Bella.

"Bella, are you alright? What happened? Did you fall down?"

"Emmett, I'm fine - just a sprain. Right, Carlisle?"

At the mention of my name Emmett turned and gave me a long stare, perhaps sizing me up. I couldn't help but wonder what made him look at me with such an intensity when he had been nothing but friendly when I first met him.

Before more time passed to ponder this information, Ben came up with files in hand. He shifted the files from one hand to the other in order to shake my hand and then looked over at Bella.

"Emmett, take Bella back to my office on your way out please. Now Carlisle, here is the paperwork. I made sure all were in the correct order."

With a nod towards Bella as she was lead away, I could not help but remind her.

"Don't forget to call me when you're done. I'll head on over and get you." She looked at me and timidly nodded her head as she was lead around the corner.

Ben cleared his throat. "If you'll excuse me I need to get on to the interview."

"Of course, thanks for these." With the files in my hand I made my way to my office, ready to get them done. I needed to focus on the situation with Bella and try to figure out a way to help her.


End file.
